Seafoam
by LothCat
Summary: Newly Knighted Jedi Dume, AKA Kanan Jarrus is off on his first solo mission, to oversee the biological survey of Lothal. Theoretically it should be a piece of cake, but things rarely go as planned.
1. Chapter 1

Author Note:

Playing around with a bit of a The Republic Never Fell AU. Palpatine was discovered in the nick of time, Anakin didn't fall, the Jedi are slowly trying to rebuild.

* * *

Kanan joined the jostle of people leaving the shuttle, an action that was both familiar and strangely new now. It felt strange not to have the weight of his padawan braid by his ear and the awareness that his Master was right there. He'd spent so much time working as her other half to suddenly be out on his own felt strange and off balance. It was the natural way of things though, now that he had his Knighthood he was expected to be able to handle a planetary survey overseeing job like this on his own.

Things were slowly finding a new sort of balance after the abrupt end of the Clone Wars, once the traitorous Sith had been uncovered in the very senate itself. It had shaken the Jedi order to the very core and left so many of them floundering to discover how deeply the rot had taken hold. He and Master Billaba had eventually been given the task of rebuilding trust in the Republic in the outer rim, taking new names to work under without announcing who they were. After years of subterfuge it was still easier to think of himself as Kanan Jarrus, even if he was officially on Lothal as Knight Dume.

The mission was a simple one, and he knew it was both a test to make sure he had the skills to stand on his own as well as something that should be without much danger. He didn't blame the Temple for being cautious with new Knights, they'd taken heavy losses during the war, but he still wished his first solo mission could have been something a little more notable. As it was, the Mining Guild wished to set up operations on Lothal, citing orbital surveys rich in useful minerals. The Agricultural Guild had balked, not wishing to damage the thriving renewable resources on the planet. The governor had stepped in then and pointed out that as a remote planet in the outer rim the planetary surveys were ancient and incomplete and that there was more than enough reason to request a proper in depth survey before any changes were made. The Republic had agreed, and sent several teams, and Kanan. His job was to make sure everything was above board, following procedures, as well as provide a visible symbol of how the Jedi were supposed to be before everything went wrong. He just wished they'd sent someone older, more dignified, someone where it would be a nice vacation instead of making him be bored half out of his mind.

Knowing the reasoning behind the decision to make his first mission an easy one didn't make it any more appealing, but Kanan resolved to make the best of it. The crowd thinned, and he made his way to the ground transport to take him to join the science team that should have already arrived.

* * *

"Welcome, you must be Knight Dume," The lead scientist, a firmly middle aged Pantoran lady smiled warmly at him and Kanan smiled back easily.

"Call me Kanan, there's no need to be formal when we're working together," Kanan reached out to shake her hand and she grasped it warmly.

"I'm Doctor Nami, let me introduce you to my team," she said, gesturing around the room where several people closer to Kanan's age seemed to be in the process of unpacking and sorting through materials.

Kanan took note of all the names and faces, easy mission or not he was still working and still representing the Temple. His master would know, somehow he was sure, if he decided to slack off. It was a mix of scientists experienced in field work, and older students getting experience on what should be a fairly safe survey.

"You'll be meeting the land team too, but last we heard you'll be sticking with us most of the time?" The doctor waited for his nod before continuing. "The reports say that the land itself is fairly safe. The main and predator is the loth-cat, which feeds on the loth-rats, loth-wolves are only sighted rarely and far from any habitation."

"And we'll be hunting loth-fish instead?" Kanan asked, a little playfully.

"Not quite." Doctor Nami arched an eyebrow at him, but a few of the other scientists muffled laughter and Kanan took that as a win. "There's a greater diversity of sea life and a few large predators. We're hoping with our equipment we'll be able to capture a few live samples for study, up until now the only examples recorded are ones washed up on the shore or were badly damaged by fishing boats."

Kanan nodded "I will assist if I am able, but if you'd rather me leave things well enough alone so I don't get in your way I can do that just as easily." It would be boring, Kanan knew, but he'd endured worse as a padawan.

"Thank you, Jedi Kanan, we'll be boarding the boat at oh five hundred tomorrow, local time," Doctor Nami said in easy to interpret dismissal, moving to oversee some of the equipment being set up. Kanan tried not to wince at the time, it wasn't that he was lazy, exactly, but some hours were better if you stayed up until, not got up at.

* * *

Kanan stood near the railing, staring out at the horizon and glad that the setting was pleasant at least. He'd made a few friendly overtures, but while the scientists were friendly enough it was clear he wasn't one of them. He didn't know the in-jokes or half the slang and he had no clue why one water sample reading was cause for celebration and another was a disappointment, when he peered through the microscope at one point it all just seemed to be little blobby things floating about. And really, you could only make a 'loths of fish' joke once or twice before you started pushing it. The air was clean though, much nicer than some planets he'd been on, and smelled of salt. The wind was cold, but the sun was warm enough, and the seas had been gentle so far. The ship was focused on taking all the detailed scans that couldn't be done by flyover, and taking samples. Sea life was getting compared to previous records and unknown species were put in stasis to be taken back to the lab. Kanan felt entirely unneeded, and if it wasn't that these findings would have serious ramifications for the planet's development and economy he wouldn't have been here at all.

Kanan let his mind drift, not really paying attention to much until a sudden shiver went up his spine. He stiffened, looking around for the cause of the warning. For just a moment there seemed to be nothing, none of the scientists had noticed anything, and then he spotted the clouds boiling on the horizon just moments before the warning system went off. Everyone else startled at the alarm, staring at it for a few long seconds.

"Storm!" Kanan shouted over the alarm, shaking the scientists out of their confusion.

"Right, get everything strapped down and in and we can get the shields up, we've gone over this, move!" Doctor Nami barked out orders, and everyone started to move. Besides large aquatic predators there was another danger to Lothal's oceans, sudden small storm systems could form, with high winds and rough seas. Protocol was to get all the equipment back in and then shield the ship, riding out the storm. They usually didn't last long, moving on or dissipating as quickly as they formed.

If Kanan wasn't seeing it himself he wouldn't have believed how quickly the wind picked up, the ship going from gentle rocking to more dangerous pitching. He stumbled, cursing the fact he hadn't grabbed one of the flotation vests. They looked strange and ugly with the Jedi robes he was supposed to be wearing, and things had been calm enough it hadn't seemed important. There was no time to strap one on now, and he moved to help one of the students struggling to bring one of the heavier sensor arrays up and on board.

Kanan helped tug it on board, reaching out to grab the student and tug him back from the railing when another lurch of the boat sent him too close to it for comfort.

"Is that everything?" Nami called over the rising wind, and Kanan looked around to see if all the equipment was within the shields now.

Distracted, Kanan wasn't braced when the boat bucked again and he felt himself falling. He grabbed frantically at the railing and for just a moment his fingers closed on the slick metal, but he couldn't hold on, plummeting the short distance into the cold water of Lothal's ocean.

Kanan struggled in the rough water, fighting his way to the surface for a quick breath before he realized he may not have put on a vest, but he did have an aquata breather on his belt and he fumbled for it, getting it onto his face and breathing in. With a supply of air he could start to think again. The storms were awful, but they didn't last long. He wouldn't drown with the breather on, the storm wouldn't last so long that he'd risk hypothermia in the cold water, once things stilled his com was waterproof and he could call for help. He'd survive this, even if his pride was hurt by slipping off the deck. At least he'd survive as long as none of the large ocean predators that had been mentioned before were following the storm, looking for stunned or injured prey. He let himself get tossed by the waves, not trying to fight it, concentrating and casting his senses out for danger. Nothing living, but suddenly his senses were screaming at him that something was very wrong. He twisted, but wasn't able to gather himself in time as, tossed by the same waves as he was struggling in, the research boat came crashing down onto him hard.

Stunned, Kanan fought to keep conscious. He felt something brush on the edge of his mind, and for a moment he tried to reach out for them.

 _Master_... And then things were going dark before Kanan could remember that Master Billaba was far, far away and unable to pull him out of trouble this time.


	2. Chapter 2

Kanan hovered barely on the edge of consciousness, aware someone was tugging something out of his mouth. He tried to bite down, not sure why but vaguely aware that he shouldn't let it happen. He couldn't seem to stop it though and he felt it tugged free and he drew in a shaky breath. He struggled to get his eyes open and focus, blinking at the sudden harsh glare of light.

He thought he saw someone bent over him, bright blue eyes and a concerned expression, and he opened his mouth to say something but then everything spun and went dark again.

* * *

Kanan woke again to bright lights and the soft sound of machinery and the half-formed thought of _not again_. He'd been in enough medbays over the years to recognize one immediately, there was rarely much variation. They always had a faint small of disinfectant and bacta too.

He was familiar enough with waking up in a medbay to look around and slowly take stock rather than trying to get up right away.

"Up yet, are we?" A strange but kind voice said, and Kanan turned towards it to take in the older looking man who was probably the doctor.

"I think so. What happened?" Kanan tried to remember, things were jumbled, but he remembered being on the boat, then a storm?

"You fell overboard, thankfully as soon as the storm cleared search-droids were sent out and found you washed up on one of the nearby islands. You were a little battered by the storm and you must have taken a blow to the head at some point, but other than that you're in remarkably good shape. You'll want to take it easy for at least a couple days. Some headaches with or without nausea are normal, but if they persist or you experience any other symptoms like confusion or dizziness you should come right back," the doctor spoke very matter-of-fact, checking him over and the motioning that he could sit up. Kanan did so gingerly.

"The standard for a concussion then?" Kanan asked a little ruefully. It would explain why his memories of being in the ocean weren't very coherent.

"I take it you've dealt with concussions before then?" the doctor asked.

"Just once, though I think that's more the Force's doing than anything I did. I used to have a tendency to throw myself headfirst into trouble." Kanan sat up gingerly, taking a quick internal survey with his own senses. He was sore, and careful touching through his hair found a sore lump, everything matching up with the doctor's assessment. His head ached a little, but nothing he couldn't ignore.

"At least you're in luck, the boat won't be going back out for two days at least. You'll want to head over to the Marine Research Center," the doctor said.

"Well that answers my next question." Kanan smiled a little. He slid off the bed, gathering up his clothes as the doctor gave him some privacy to change before he caught the transport across the city.

* * *

Kanan wasn't expecting the research center to be in chaos. He tried a few times to get someone's attention without much luck, until he finally spotted one of the researchers he knew. He wasn't exactly expecting someone at his bedside, but he was a little surprised at the total lack of any concern.

"Oh you've been released!" She smiled, but still sounded distracted, looking to the side. It took Kanan just a minute to remember her name, but he wasn't sure if that was the head injury or just that he hadn't spoken to her that often.

"Cordelia, what did I miss?" Kanan glanced around. "Is it always so busy?"

"Oh, you don't know? Well of course you don't know, you were unconscious for most of it. Come on." She started off quickly and Kanan had to hurry to follow after her.

It wasn't long before he was taken to a fairly well packed room where one wall seemed to be thick transparisteel with water on the other side. Most of the people in the room were packed around it, everyone seemed to be talking at once. Kanan tried not to wince at the sound, trying to look past them at the wall. His height was an advantage, and he could see over most of the heads to see a sudden flash of movement and color in the water, then whatever it was moved away from the wall.

"Almost as soon as the storm passed we were able to capture a derketo," Cordelia said, sounding a little awed. "It must have been exhausted by the storm. There's been none successfully collected alive before, but we were able to stun it and keep it under until we got back here and got it into a secured tank for observation."

Kanan blinked, regarding the tank with more interest. He'd overheard a lot about derketo from the scientists, they were rare in the oceans of Lothal and there was a great deal of folklore about them and very little solid facts. The fishing industry hated them because they were exceptionally good at breaking equipment if they managed to get caught up in it, which thankfully wasn't often. The other large ocean predators were allarks, huge reptilian looking fish that were dangerous enough, but they didn't have the reputation for viciousness that derketo had. They were also much easier to study, and Kanan knew there was a whole tank of the more docile species of allarks in this very center.

Finding a live derketo to study was something the research team had talked about in ways that made it clear that they didn't actually expect it to happen. No wonder no one was paying much attention to him.

"Ah good, you're here," Doctor Nami's voice cut through the dull roar of chatter as she appeared at Kanan's side. "We have all the collection details if you need to review them, would you like to get a better look?"

Kanan nodded, he was curious despite himself, even if he was prepared for disappointment after seeing a lot of the samples the scientists got far too excited about. He followed in Nami's wake, the doctor cutting cleanly through the crowd the same way Master Billaba did when she was in a hurry. She always swore was it was skill and not some use of the Force, but Kanan had never figured out the trick of it. Whatever it was, Kanan was disinclined to argue as they made their way to the front of the crowd around the transparent wall. Kanan could see the tank was bare, smooth sides and what looked like a cover over the top. The creatures was on the far side away from the viewing wall and constantly in motion. It was hard to make out much, the water was a little murky, but it looked to be testing where the cover met the sides of the tank.

"There's always a little silt when water gets pumped in from the ocean, and it's keeping it stirred up. It's annoying, but until we know more we don't want to risk using pure created seawater. There might be some bacteria or microorganism it needs," Cordelia spoke up in a tone that hinted that she'd either given or heard that explanation more than a few times. She'd followed close behind the both of them and Kanan debated moving so she could get a better look, and then deciding he could be selfish just this once. He was sure that none of the researchers would have a lack of recorded footage and data to pour over.

"The last thing we want to do is risk harm to it, which is why we're gathering as much data as we can in a couple days at most and then tagging it and returning it," Nami smiled a little. "It's not… quite regulation, but it's an opportunity I don't think we can afford to pass up."

"I shouldn't be getting back on the boat until I've had a little longer to recover anyway. I won't say it's good timing, but…" Kanan shrugged. "It works out to our advantage. Can it see us through the wall?" The creature was still flitting around the other side of the tank, as far as it could get from the people watching.

"Yes, the wall can be mirrored so we can see in but it can't see us, but that seemed to make it more agitated and it kept attacking the mirroring, maybe distressed thinking it was another of its species? There's so much we don't know about them. This is such an amazing find. We're able to get video of how it moves, track its vitals, and answer so many questions. Most people have always assumed they're purely carnivorous, but the teeth suggest they might also eat sea vegetation. If we're lucky we'll even be able to get a decent fecal sample," Cordelia rambled excitedly, sounding starstruck as she stared at the tank.

Kanan was suddenly very aware he was not a scientist, and very glad for that fact. No one should ever say the words _fecal sample_ with such enthusiasm.

As he watched the creature broke off from its investigation of the other side, starting to circle back around. Kanan stared in surprise as it slowly became more visible. He'd assumed a lot of the folklore descriptions of the creatures were exaggeration and invention, that some superficial resemblances may exist, but in the same ways people looked at star clusters or clouds and saw familiar objects.

He was wrong, the derketo did absolutely look like a strange mashup of fish and human, if anything the deceptions tended towards making it look more unnatural, like parts just slapped together. Instead the derketo looked absolutely natural, the upper body looking surprisingly human with tanned skin that blended into scales on the powerful looking tail. The forearms and webbed hands were similarly scaled, with delicate but no doubt sharp claws on each fingertip. The dominant color of the scales was a deep blue that matched the color of its hair, or whatever the substance that looked like hair on its head actually was but with startlingly bright orange highlights. The skin was a warm copper color that Kanan guessed was a few shades lighter than his own, not too dissimilar from the look the human population on Lothal tended towards. It was easy to see where tales of the derketo luring gullible human children away came from.

The derketo made it to the window, and it looked… angry and frightened. It was sometimes risky to apply human expressions and body language to other species, but the derketo looked so much like a human male it was hard not to. It was hard to keep thinking of it as an it as it swam slowly past the people gathered there and Kanan could hear the talk grow a little more hushed, though still full of observations about it. It reached Kanan and then paused, fins flaring as it stared through the glass and right at him and Kanan tensed under the intense gaze. It was so still, aside from the fins slowly waving to keep it stable in the water, looking right at him. Logically Kanan knew it was likely that in a sea of white labcoats the muted colors of his cloak likely stood out as something new and unusual, but it still felt like the derketo was looking right at _him_.

Almost without thinking Kanan raised his hand, fingertips brushing the transparisteel. The derketo was close enough to touch if it weren't for the barrier. The creature looked away from his face, glancing down at his hand, and Kanan didn't know what he expected, but with a flip of its powerful tail the derketo twisted and shot away back to the other side of the tank. Kanan flushed a little, jerking his hand away and acutely aware of all the hushed whispers, at least a few of them disapproving of the fact he'd startled it away again. Kanan tried to ignore them, but he couldn't shake the lingering feeling that he'd somehow seen those intense, almost glowing blue eyes before.

* * *

Author Note: While I like giving my OCs names, they're just there for plot/exposition reasons and there will be no OC Romance.


	3. Chapter 3

Kanan moved reluctantly away from the viewing wall. If he was entirely honest with himself he didn't actually need to be there as far as the mission went, this was only for his own curiosity. Cordelia at least seemed content to have a willing ear as she sorted through data on her holopad.

"I wish we had longer to study it, we're gaining so much information and confirming a lot of theories. They're warm blooded, for one, and intelligent. Allarks and most of the fish will investigate a new tank but once they've explored it they settle down. The derketo keeps looking for a way to escape, which means trying to successfully keep any in captivity might be difficult or even impossible," she spoke eagerly with no sign that she was going to lose steam anytime soon. Kanan reached up to rub his hand through his hair, wincing when he encountered the sore spot from before. He was suddenly exhausted, all the excitement in the room a little too much at the moment.

"I'm going to take the reports I haven't reviewed yet and go take care of that," Kanan interrupted when she paused for a moment.

"Oh, right, of course," Cordelia hurried to grab the correct disks and data pad, handing it over to him. Kanan look them gratefully, even if the last thing he wanted was to deal with more reports, it made a convenient excuse. He took one last look at the crowded viewing wall, but there was no sign of the derketo.

* * *

Kanan felt uneasy as he left the marine research center, but he tried to push it from his mind. It was likely just some residual adrenaline left over from nearly drowning, and some meditation and sleep would ease it. He was grateful enough to get back to his room, away from the noise and crowds of both the center and the shuttle. He sat down on the bed, taking a deep breath to steady himself, and just taking in the peacefulness after the hustle and bustle. After a minute though he frowned, getting up to put the reports aside from later. It was too quiet, even if the silence was a relief to the low pounding in his head.

This had been the first time he'd woken up in a medical center entirely alone aside from the medical personnel. Master Billaba may not have been the sort to keep vigil by his bedside, but she would have been nearby. He wouldn't have woken up up in a strange place alone, and he wouldn't have been alone now. Her presence would have been right there in their training bond, a source of support he didn't truly need anymore, not as a Knight, but one he found he missed. He'd taken for granted having someone he could talk freely with as a way to process the day's events.

Kanan could have gone out and sent a transmission, but he balked at the idea. What would he say? That he hadn't expected being a Knight would be as lonely as it was? He guessed it was just something he'd get used to in time, and he tried not to dwell on it as he prepared for bed. Even if the boat wasn't going anywhere tomorrow, he still needed to rest and recover and catch up on those reports. There had to be a diplomatic way to phrase falling overboard and almost drowning.

* * *

He must have fallen asleep, because Kanan woke with a start, feeling unsettled. He took a deep breath, calming himself and trying to find the source of the disturbance. Nightmares weren't uncommon after a head injury, but if he'd had any he didn't remember them. The strange feeling didn't go away though and after a brief period of flopping around in the bed that only aggravated his bruises he hauled himself up. He paced the room, restless, finally making a decision and pulling on his robes. If the Force was trying to tell him something then the marine research center was the most likely place to start looking. If it was just his own brain sending a false alarm after his injuries and feeling lonely before then it wouldn't do any harm.

The center was quiet and the lights on low as he used his passkey to get in. It almost seemed a different place entirely at night. Without all the people he could hear all the low sounds of the various pieces of equipment working to keep the tanks clean and oxygenated and at the proper temperature. He nodded to the security guard on duty, who gave him a single searching look then went back to his datapad. While dressing in his robes was a lot more conspicuous, it did make some things a lot easier. If a Jedi wanted to go poking around the marine research center in the middle of the night, they probably had a good reason, right?

Kanan wished he had more to go on, there was a sense of rightness to arriving at the building, but the restless feeling didn't let up. If anything it seemed to grow more urgent as he made his way to the observation room he visited before. He placed a hand on the door, about to open it when a voice made him pause.

"Hold on a moment, if you please." Someone, a Rodian scientist or other employee with the center itself from the look of them, hurried over to him.

"Is there a problem?" Kanan asked, trying to look more confident and less like someone who'd left his room in the middle of the night because of an odd feeling.

"Right now the tanks are in a night cycle and sound and disturbance is to be kept to a minimum in order to give the derketo time to rest, poor guy's had quite the busy day." He sounded more sympathetic towards the creature than Kanan had expected, given the reactions before. "Normally that would mean the observation room is off limits, but given that I believe you're the Jedi overseeing the expedition that found him you're welcome to go in. Just try not to stress him out too much?"

"I'll be quiet," Kanan promised. "My name's Kanan, by the way."

"Tseebo, I'm in charge of overnight maintenance, monitoring all the equipment," Tseebo said softly, sounding cheerful about it.

Kanan nodded, it made sense. While droids could monitor the equipment, if something did go wrong it was best to have someone who could make snap decisions on duty. From overhearing he knew some of the sealife kept in the center was very delicate, just a few degrees of temperature swing or a ph change could be deadly. Someone who was in charge of keeping the sea life comfortable and happy probably took a more relaxed view of the creatures under his care than those who at least needed to pretend professional detachment from their work.

"Good to meet you, Tseebo," Kanan said quietly, pushing the door open to step into the observation room. The room was lit with low lights and the dim glow from a few screens, but otherwise dark. The tank wall itself was so black it looked to be filled with ink instead of water. There was no sign of the derketo through the wall, but one of the screens had an image feed from a night-vision camera in the tank. Stepping over to it, Kanan could see that it looked like he had settled down on the bottom of the tank.

"It looks like Ezra's finally sleeping," Tseebo spoke softly, looking at the same screen and then glancing at the wall.

"Ezra?" Kanan asked, he'd not heard the derketo referred to anything but his species when he was there before.

Tseebo tapped the screen with one slender finger where a string of numbers was displayed at the bottom. "When an animal is brought in for study they have an identification number that includes a numerical code for what sector they were collected from. Ez-Ra," He indicated the last bit of the string of information. "Once he's fitted with a transmitter he might get another nickname from the team, but until then it's better than just memorizing the long code."

"Ezra," Kanan turned the name over, trying it out again. "I like it, if I have any say in what he gets called then I will at least nominate it as an option." He smiled, but it faded glanced at the dark wall again, feeling the same sense of restless dread as before. "I don't think he's sleeping though."

"Is that a Jedi thing?" Tseebo asked, curiously.

"Maybe," Kanan watched the screen, wishing he had some better idea of what he was doing there. Sometimes the Force felt a bit like playing the childhood game of warmer-colder, except far more frustrating. Even Jedi who got visions reported they tended to be disjointed and hard to interpret.

Even watching and almost certain something was about to happen, Kanan nearly missed when the derketo, Ezra, suddenly moved. He'd seen him methodically probing for weak spots earlier, this time he didn't hesitate, he just shot straight up like a blaster bolt for the cover over the tank. Kanan heard the impact, a thud that seemed far too loud in the quiet, and then alarms were going off, the lights coming on suddenly enough to nearly blind him. He winced, shielding his eyes and was dimly aware Tseebo was doing the same.

"He cracked the tank," Tseebo's voice was full of mixed horror and awe and Kanan glanced at the screens displaying large warning signs, before he rushed over to the wall to get a look for himself.

Ezra seemed stunned by the lights and sound, but just like them he was shaking it off, looking back up at the cover. If he broke through, if he got out, Kanan didn't even want to think of what might happen. He was very suddenly aware of how many warnings he remembered about how dangerous derketo were, how violent they got when trapped in fishing equipment, and how many people had been severely injured or lost their lives to them over the years. Would they have the equipment needed to subdue him before he hurt someone, or someone was forced to hurt him? Kanan had to do something.

"Don't," Kanan said, keeping his eyes on Ezra and placing his hand on the wall. He could do this, it was very rare for an animal, no matter how agitated, to resist calming through the Force. If he could get him calm then something could be done, he was sure. He closed his eyes, reaching out.

 _Fear. Pain. Trapped. Need for calm, need to focus, can't focus. Need to get out. Out. OUT_ _._

Kanan's eyes flew open in shock. They weren't words exactly, but the feelings were strong and clear. They were also far too developed to belong to an animal. This was a sapient being. He tuned out the alarms that were still going off, closing his eyes again and reaching out more cautiously this time.

He could feel it, the moment Ezra became aware of the contact, the awareness making it through the chaos in his mind. Kanan worried that it would be rejected, but instead Ezra latched onto the contact with a strength that surprised him. Kanan wasn't sure exactly how long he stood there, but when he opened his eyes again he was suddenly aware there was a small crowd in the observation room, people speaking in frightened whispers. Ezra had made his way to the side, hand pressed against the glass like there wasn't several inches of transparent material between them. His eyes were closed, but he didn't look calm at all. His fins were tightly clamped against his tail and he radiated tension.

"How do I get up above the tank where the cover is?" Kanan asked calmly, getting a stammered response. He just nodded, heading to the door and starting up the staircase. "Tseebo, I may need your help."

The tank had a gently sloped platform down to where the cover fitted in and Kanan made his way down to it. Like this he could see the impact point and the cracks radiating away from it.

"Get the cover off," Kanan ordered.

"But..." Tseebo protested quietly.

"Just do it," Kanan spoke firmly, but without any actual Force to his words. Holding a strong mental connection and splitting his attention onto other tasks was more difficult than he thought. He wouldn't have been able to manage it if Ezra was fighting him at all, but Ezra was mentally clinging to the point of contact like a lifeline.

Tseebo went to the controls, fiddling with them.

"It's stuck, the mechanism was damaged by the impact," Tseebo spoke hesitantly and Kanan frowned.

Kanan reached out, gripping the cover with his mind, and then shoving. It didn't want to go, but once it broke free of the mechanism it slid with an awful sound over and out of the way into the slot it normally stayed when it wasn't locking the tank down.

Almost immediately after it stopped moving, Ezra's head broke the surface of the water, looking around wildly.

"It's alright, the cover's gone now. You're not trapped," Kanan spoke calmly, kneeling down at the water's edge where the platform continued on under the surface.

Ezra moved to meet him, pushing himself partially up onto the platform and watching him with huge blue eyes.

"Here, let me see? You punched it, didn't you." Kanan held his hand out, and after a moment of hesitation Ezra placed his hand in Kanan's. He wasn't any good at healing, but Kanan did know how to check for injuries and he extended his awareness carefully. There were a few bruises and it might be sore for a bit, but the bones were uninjured and there was no bleeding. Ezra had used the Force as well as his fist to damage the cover so badly.

"You'll be fine," Kanan said soothingly, but Ezra flinched, looking behind him. Kanan followed his gaze, turning to see that at least some of crowd had followed him and was in the stairwell, watching him with visible shock.

"It's alright, they won't hurt you. No one's going to hurt you," Kanan knew Ezra didn't understand the words themselves, but keeping up the mental contact meant the gist of them got through. He got back a mix of doubt and worry but tentative agreement.

Kanan glanced back at the crowd, finally raising his voice. "Get me Doctor Nami, wake her up if you have to, this is an emergency."

There were a lot more people who needed to be contacted than that, but Kanan trusted Doctor Nami to be able to make most of those transmissions herself once he filled her in, or at least bring him a holoprojector. He didn't want to leave Ezra alone, not when he was the only one who could communicate with him like this. They'd made some terrible mistakes, but they could fix this. He could fix this.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm hoping you'll have a more reasonable explanation for all of this." Doctor Nami sounded tired. Kanan might have been slightly sympathetic, but his robes were soaked where he had been sitting by the pool, every bruise was aching, and he was far too aware of how little sleep he had gotten.

"I don't even want to think of what the rumor mill is saying already," Kanan ruffled his fingers through his hair, wincing when he forgot about the tender spot. He kept on eye on where Ezra was dozing for the moment, floating just under the surface of the water, but Ezra was tired enough not to stir at one more person showing up to talk.

"Mostly that you went nuts and tried to free the derketo, what really happened?" Nami asked, following his gaze out over the pool.

"He managed to crack the cover, I tried to use the Force to calm him, and when I touched his mind I realized he was sapient. He doesn't understand Basic, but he's as intelligent as we are," Kanan spoke tiredly. "I've been calling him Ezra."

Doctor Nami whispered a curse that Kanan wouldn't have guessed she knew before she covered her face with her hands and took a deep breath. "We're going to need to contact the governor, and the senate. And… what are we going to do with him? Free him immediately I assume?"

"I wasn't sure. Obviously keeping him here against his will is out of the question, but things will go more smoothly if he's here to, uh, represent himself and his species." Kanan amended what he was about to say, since Ezra speaking for himself might be difficult. He knew from the reports that he could make sounds, but they were under the range of human hearing. Unless someone found an old file that a protocol droid could use to translate them, they were stuck with a mental connection for the moment.

"Through you." Nami sighed. "Not that I don't trust you, Master Jedi, but..."

"I intend to contact the Jedi council as soon as possible, they can send others who can communicate with him just as easily as I can, and more importantly teachers who can work on the language barrier. I just need a way to send a message." Kanan had already thought of that, and he wasn't looking forward to that additional explanation. He was hoping to keep the fact Ezra was force-sensitive under wraps to everyone but the other Jedi, at least until someone else made another decision on that.

"I can get you a holoprojector to contact the Temple on Corusant," Nami said.

"Thank you," Kanan said gratefully. "I don't want to risk leaving him alone. And if he won't agree to stay while this is sorted out I'll make arrangements to have him transported out to the ocean as soon as possible."

"I understand. If he was able to break the cover on top of the tank..." Nami trailed off, and Kanan nodded gravely. Just because Ezra didn't want to hurt anyone, didn't mean he might not if he felt threatened.

* * *

"Master Yoda," Kanan smiled a little at the small figure in the hologram. No matter how worried he was about the whole situation, seeing Yoda made him feel a little better.

"Ah, Master Dume, good to see you it is." Yoda leaned on his walking stick, smiling gently. "Curious I am, as to why you are calling."

"I've run into a situation. One of the ocean species we caught for the survey is sapient," Kanan said.

"Hmm, contact the local government and the senate you should," Yoda nodded a little. "But surely for such an obvious solution you did not call."

"I already have the lead scientist contacting the government officials, I need help from the Temple. He doesn't have any means of communication yet. Right now I'm able to touch his mind and talk with him that way, but I'm the only one here who can," Kanan explained.

"Difficult, it is, to make such a connection with someone who has no skill with the Force," Yoda observed.

Kanan bowed his head slightly, very glad that everyone was intimidated enough by an unrestrained derketo that he was entirely alone on the platform connected to the tank. "I wouldn't be able to make such a connection with him if he wasn't strong in the Force, though entirely untrained."

"Complicate things, that does." Yoda made a thoughtful sound "Contact you with those who will be coming to assist you, I will."

"Thank you, Master Yoda." Kanan watched as the holo winked out, turning back to the pool as he felt a tentative brush against his mind. Ezra had been watching curiously, fins slowly fanning to hold him in place. Kanan made his way to the water's edge, sitting down a little more heavily than normal.

"That went better than I hoped," Kanan said out loud, and then concentrated on catching Ezra up to speed. It took a few tries to get the gist that more people in robes would be showing up to talk with him. Once he got the idea across though Ezra seemed pleased enough with it, but then shifted the topic, sharing his concern for Kanan.

"I'm fine, just a little tired," Kanan said, trying to reassure him. The mental image of himself floating face down in the pool startled him for a long moment, until he made the connection between it and how Ezra was sleeping earlier. He chuckled and sent back a corrected image of himself in a bed, feeling Ezra's amusement at how different it was.

"Fine, if you think you can get along without me for a few hours, I'll get some sleep." Kanan stood up slowly. Ezra seemed a little offended at the thought, and then again now that things were being sorted out Ezra had calmed down a great deal and was thinking clearly again. There was a huge difference between being a prisoner and being a guest and Kanan didn't think many people would have been in a much better state captured and unable to communicate.

He made sure Ezra knew he'd have someone wake him up if it was important, and then went to find somewhere to lay down. He was lucky, after he explained to a nervous looking scientist what was going on, he found out there was a cot in the staff lounge for if people working long hours needed a nap. He felt a small pang of guilt for taking over the lounge, but not enough to make him want to waste time figuring out a better solution. Catching a ride back across town to his rented room was out of the question if someone needed him to translate, and with a sigh Kanan sank down onto the cot, glad it was a great deal more comfortable than it looked.

* * *

Kanan woke a little blearily, aware that a great deal more time had passed than he expected. The holo com was blinking dimly to let him know he had a message waiting and he sat up, fumbling for it and turning it on.

"Master Dume, volunteered to come assist you Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kit Fisto have. Though, as take a few days their journey will, on their way another Jedi already is. A welcome surprise I believe this will be. Force be with you," Yoda's form winked out once the message was delivered. Curious, Kanan reached out with his mind for Ezra, but couldn't make a solid connection. He got just enough to let him know Ezra was distracted, and then he just focused on getting himself as cleaned up and presentable as he was going to get in a staff lounge 'fresher.

Kanan was glad to have made the effort when he walked out onto the area over the tank to find someone else already there and kneeling near the water's edge. Time had added streaks of silver to the thick braids that looped down her back, but little else had changed over the years.

"Master," Kanan spoke warmly. There was a moment of wondering if she'd come because she doubted his ability to handle this, then he put the thought aside. He'd requested help, after all, and he doubted she was here to take over unless the situation demanded someone higher ranking to deal with something political.

"Kanan," Depa Billaba turned a little to give him a serene smile. "I was just speaking with your new friend here after I was briefed on the situation."

"It's a bit of a mess," Kanan admitted. Walking closer down the sloping platform he could see where Ezra had propped himself nearby, half out of the water. If his former Master was at all concerned about the derketo's formidable reputation she showed no sign of it. Then again, she could tell just as clearly as he could that Ezra was no animal operating on instincts.

"You don't even know the half of it. The fishing guild is already insisting this is a hoax designed to ruin the fishing industry. The mining guild is also insisting it's a hoax, but by the fishing industry, to deny them access to Lothal's oceans. The senator for Lothal is pitching a fit that this whole thing is designed to make Lothal's government look foolish for overlooking an intelligent species on their own planet." Depa listed off each point far too calmly in Kanan's opinion.

Kanan cursed under his breath, covering his face with his hands and then slowly sliding them down.

"The good news is that's for the politicians to sort out, and why the Council is sending Master Kenobi. He has experience dealing with political matters and can speak for the Council if needed." She smiled as Kanan didn't even try to hide his visible relief. "Don't worry, you did exactly the right thing in calling for those better suited to handling the political side of things."

"So what is my role in this going to be now? I'm guessing even if the survey team goes back out it'll be purely research at this point since I imagine Ezra and the others are going to be a much bigger factor in deciding the future of Lothal's oceans," Kanan asked. It wouldn't surprise him if they did go back out, if they already had the budget and equipment rented, but there wouldn't be any need for his oversight.

Depa's answer was interrupted by a sudden impatient splash from Ezra. Kanan jerked, but it was too late, and he resigned himself to the fact that he just wasn't going to be able to keep his robes dry for any length of time for a while.

"Apologies, I dropped the link," Depa said quietly, going silent for a moment to concentrate. "There. Right now this is the quickest way for him to pick up Basic, since he can get the word meanings from our minds."

"You don't mind being called Ezra, do you? I know you've probably got a real name," Kanan asked Ezra directly, trusting his Master to relay. Any sort of real name was less demeaning than just calling him by his species, but he didn't want to just name him like he was a pet.

There was a pause, and a shrug from Ezra.

"I believe, since their language is outside what we can hear he doesn't seem to think there's much point in us trying. And since you think it's a good name for him, that's good enough." Depa smiled a little. "I think, if it had been a more irreverent nickname he would have objected."

"So it's a bit like how clones chose names, nothing wrong with that," Kanan decided.

* * *

Kanan sat by the water's edge, he had decided he was going to need to see about getting some sort of clothing better suited for being around the water. No matter how careful he was, his robed ended up soggy. That was one more reason he missed all the incognito missions with his Master, they usually involved far more practical clothing. She'd gone to take care of a few things, leaving him with Ezra and the Jedi holocron that had been their teaching aid for so many years. He'd thought she'd returned it to the library after he was knighted, but now he was glad she hadn't. It contained teaching files for the mind techniques for sharing languages through a mental connection, and it at least wasn't going to be bothered by a little salt water. For the moment though he left it closed, watching Ezra do lazy acrobatics in the water, working out restless energy.

"How did you get captured, anyway?" Kanan asked, forming the question carefully. He wasn't sure if he expected an answer, but it was something that was gnawing at his curiosity. As fast and powerful as Ezra was it was difficult to picture the researchers getting the drop on him,

Ezra paused at that, flipping his tail and breaking the surface by the water's edge to start pulling himself out. This close Kanan could see the way his gills sealed tight against his neck, barely visible once he was out of the water. Ezra got himself settled half out of the water and leaned in, Kanan picked up his intention immediately and leaned in to meet him, forehead touching Ezra's cool damp one as he let the mental connection strengthen and deepen.

Kanan felt his awareness shift, as he was caught up in a memory. It was different, he rarely connected so deeply as to become aware that other species sensed things differently than humans did, but there was so much more information connected with the memories. He was aware of the water currents, the depth pressure, his senses ranging out. There was a boat on the water, and he was curious about it, though he was staying well out of range.

He was aware of the danger boats possessed, the awful nets and lines that could catch up even the most alert of his kind, but this boat was different. The things they had in the water weren't anything he recognized and he followed at a safe distance. It could be nothing, it could be some new danger.

The storm was something that he initially dismissed. If the waves were too bad he could go deeper, there were no shallow reefs here to risk being tossed into, but he sometimes enjoyed the danger and the challenge of playing in the rough waters. The boat seemed to notice the storm too, and started reeling in the equipment the same way fishing ships did. It was safe to move a little closer then, the waves rising. He moved through the shifting currents easily, using the surges. Sometimes things fell overboard from boats and he could grab them, examine them, take them apart to learn more about the strange beings that lived outside the oceans.

It was a jolt of surprise when something did fall overboard, but it wasn't any sort of equipment. It looked to be a person, and he froze. The people on land didn't do well in the water, especially not rough water, but they were dangerous. He could try pushing them up to the surface, but he might get attacked in the process. It was risky, and he was grateful to realize that the person didn't seem to be in distress. They must have some sort of equipment to let them survive underwater. He'd heard about it, but never seen it in person. Then caution was forgotten when he realized the person was too close to the boat, it was tossing dangerously in the waves and as poor a swimmer as most people were they'd never get out of the way in time. He watched helplessly as the boat smacked down, and then he was jolting into action. He'd _heard_ the person! It had been brief, but it was a moment of alarm that touched his mind in a way he hadn't sensed in years and years.

He caught the figure, tugging them away from the boat with powerful tail strokes. Dragging something as large as a person through the rough water was harder than he anticipated, but not impossible. Once he got deep enough to risk stopping, he examined his find. The person had hair a little shorter than his own, but it seemed to go everywhere in the water, they were wrapped up in far too much fabric that slowed them down in the water, and there was something over and in their mouth. He carefully touched it, not recognizing it, but it seemed to be related to how the person was still breathing away from the air.

Even if they were still breathing, he vaguely remembered there were other reasons humans didn't do well in the water. At least they didn't seem to be bleeding, he wasn't sure if allarks would be attracted to the blood the same way as they would his own, but he didn't want to find out. He needed to get the person out of the water and probably to other people who could help him, and with that goal in mind he set off outside the range of the small storm.

Hauling the person up out of the water and onto the beach was its own trial. He wasn't exactly mobile on land, and trying to drag a person who'd lost all of the weightlessness of being under water made it exponentially harder. He got them high enough to be where even unusually high waves shouldn't hit them, and then he regarded them curiously. Now that they were out of the water they shouldn't need the mouth thingy, and he tugged it free. They stirred at that, eyes opening for the first time, not quite focusing on him before they closed again. He gently patted at their cheek, but they didn't stir again. At least they were out of the water, but they definitely needed other people at this point.

The closest people he could think of were back on the boat, and he wriggled his way back into the water where he could move freely. It only took a moment to expel the air in his lungs, switching back to his gills, and then he was hurrying through the water towards the ship in the distance. It wasn't until he got there that he realized he'd been a little impulsive, and he had no clue how to get their attention without risking them attacking him. He swam in a slow circle under the boat, thinking hard, maybe if he popped up long enough to get their attention and then got them to chase him? And then his thoughts were cut short by the sudden appearance of an energy net and there was a jolt of almost-pain and then nothing.

* * *

Kanan came back to himself slowly, processing the memories and putting them in context. Almost immediately he felt a little guilty, he was the reason Ezra had been captured, but he tried to brush that aside. Ezra had been trying to help, Ezra had saved his life. The odds were low he'd have been found so quickly in the open ocean, and he could have died of hypothermia or been attacked by an allark even if he didn't lose his breather and drowned.

"Thank you," Kanan spoke out loud, forming the words and the gratitude clearly in his mind, and was rewarded by a rush of pride and pleased accomplishment from Ezra.


End file.
